Blogfest 2009

It is surprising how much discipline and sticking to a routine counts. Setting aside a specific time each day to write is critical – if you don’t do that, it’ll never happen!

Being a writer isn’t just a job, it’s a big part of who you are. You can’t separate your life from your writing. You’re always a writer, wherever you go. People ask me where my office is, and I tell them that it’s in my head. I’ve been a writer for so long, I honestly can’t tell you what my daily life would be like without it. I see everything in terms of story, metaphor, dialogue, and a search for deeper meaning in all of life’s activities.

Writing has always been a life raft for me. It is a form of expression that is as necessary as breathing. It allows me to purge, play, explore, rant, and find answers in a safe way – with no one talking back or getting upset with me for having my feelings or thoughts and expressing them. Publishing, on the other hand, has made me a way more stressed out and neurotic person (grin).

Writing consumes my daily life, particularly now. It doesn’t leave me time for anything else.